Justin Britt and the O-line

[Jville]

“(Britt has) made a technical jump in his control of his body and his pad level — to the point where it looks like he should have been playing center all along,” Carroll said. “He just looks so natural at it. But I think it would have applied no matter where he’s playing.

“We’ve really gotten him to sit down and get his leverage in the right spot. For a big guy (6 feet 6, 315), he’s playing very low and very square. He did it in the running game; he did it in the passing game (in Kansas City). It’s an enormous accomplishment for him in such a short time.”

With Sweezy gone, Britt makes ‘technical jump’ >>> [urltargetblank]https://chawktalk.com/2016/08/16/with-sweezy-gone-britt-makes-technical-jump/[/urltargetblank]

 

[chris98251]

“(Britt has) made a technical jump in his control of his body and his pad level — to the point where it looks like he should have been playing center all along,” Carroll said. “He just looks so natural at it. But I think it would have applied no matter where he’s playing.

“We’ve really gotten him to sit down and get his leverage in the right spot. For a big guy (6 feet 6, 315), he’s playing very low and very square. He did it in the running game; he did it in the passing game (in Kansas City). It’s an enormous accomplishment for him in such a short time.”

With Sweezy gone, Britt makes ‘technical jump’ >>> [urltargetblank]https://chawktalk.com/2016/08/16/with-sweezy-gone-britt-makes-technical-jump/[/urltargetblank]

There is always a lot of Pete speak this time of year, I think a contributing factor is your in your third position, you need to do stuff our way, we now have depth that is as good or better then you have played, succeed or be playing somewhere else.

 

[Hawks46]

Here were my thoughts going into the game and then my thoughts after the game of the starting o-line. Side note: I watched & re-watched every offensive snap at least 5 times with our starting o-line.

(LT) Sowell (before the game) - I had low expectations of him, given that it took him until this last week to be part of the stating o-line. I thought he was going to be a hot mess.
(after the game) - Sowell, at least in this game, looks like he could be an above average LT for us.

(LG) Glowinski (before the game) - I was really excited to see Glo, because of his upside. He is a very good athlete for an o-lineman and he is supposedly one of the strongest players in the weight room.
(after the game) - Glo was very disappointing, not that he was horrible, but I just had such high hopes for him. He fell off blocks, lost his balance a hand full of times, seen him tossed aside a couple of times. Maybe yesterdays game was a one-off for Glo.

(OC) Britt (before the game) - I had completely written off Britt and was expecting to see him look like a new born deer trying to walk on ice. Britt was a turnstile at RT and LG, I was expecting move of the same with him at OC.
(after the game) - Damn, Britt was very impressive at OC. He won the vast majority of his plays, only once did I see him lose his battle. He held his ground, did good at combo blocks, when he pulled to the second level he found a defender to block. Very, very impressive game for Britt.

(RG) Ifedi (before the game) - I was fairly excited to see Ifedi play. I like his size, his playing temperament at practice, and I like the he is a super-sized athlete. I questioned whether his on the field temperament that he has shown at practice would show up on game day, because I didn't really notice it when he was at Texas A&M.
(after the game) - Overall Ifedi had a good game. It was fun to see the few time he got the opportunity to block Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe, whom is 6-3 345 lbs and the best nose tackle in the NFL. Ifedi was able to push big Poe around a bit. His on the field bully mentality didn't show up in this game, I was expecting to see him play right up until the echo of the whistle, kind of like Breno Giacomini. Ifedi did get pushed back once or twice back into the QB, but overall he looked nice for his first game.

(RT) Gilliam (before the game) - I have complete confidence in Gilliam and think he has the ability to be a Pro Bowl player.
(after the game) - My thoughts on him did not change, he looked good and highly athletic.

Overall these five guys look like they could easily be our starting five for the season. Going off this one game, if I had to choose the weak link of the bunch it would be Glowinski.

Good analysis.

I was high on Glowinski coming in, but more on his potential. People tend to forget he only had one start, and he did play well, but it's only one start. He could've just had a good matchup in that game.

I tend to think that's why they keep trying out Evans on the left side, even though he's a RG by trade. They're not going to pull Ifedi, so the weakest link would be Glowinski or Britt, and Britt seems to be shining right now. Also look for Odhiambo to push for playing time at LG this preseason and see where we're at.

We get high on players on the internet but coaches see these guys every day in practice. Them playing Evans at LG is telling me that's the best place for him for competition.

 

[bigskydoc]

Very, very impressed with the play of our first string offensive line in this second pre-season game. A few things stuck out to me.

This is the toughest defensive front we will face in the pre-season, and probably one of the top 3-5 we will face all year. The Vikes really brought it last night and our offensive line did a really nice job standing up to them.

I was impressed with how well the line played as a unit despite minimal history together. This was best typified at 7:46 in the first quarter on the play where Russ was sacked the first time. Everson Griffin puts a beautiful vet spin move on Sowell giving him a clear shot at Russ. Glowinski recognizes this and breaks off of his double team on Shamar Stephen and picks up Griffin perfectly. Britt follows Glowinski's lead adjusts to keep Stephen well blocked. Gilliam, working against Robinson, seals the right side nicely creating a perfect pocket. Ifedi does a nice job holding off Linval Joseph who ultimately gets the sack when Wilson, inexplicably, squirts forward out of the pocket. That was beautiful line work, communication, and working as a unit. I also like how Ifedi is sure to let Jospeh know he isn't welcome in the backfield after the play is over.

Another interesting observation was how well the line picked up the unbalanced pressure. Unfortunately, Collins wasn't on the same wavelength, or lacks the vision to see what is happening. at 11:37 in the second quarter, Minny brings the unbalanced heat from the right side. Gilliam, Wilson, and Ifedi identify and communicate it pre-snap. Gilliam is left with a 2 on 1 and clearly indicates which guy Collins is supposed to take. Collins is on another planet which gives Barr a free run at Wilson. Wilson pops up after the sack and clearly points at Collins "That was your man dude"

There is still some work to do though. At 1:28 in the second, Wilson's last play when it becomes clear that Minny is out to send him a message, the Hawks fail to pick up the unbalanced pressure on the right side. For some reason, both the line and Wilson are focused on the left side where the play is going, but seemingly ignore the FIVE GUYS lined up to the right of center. (It's possible Russ sees it, and if so he should have called a time out). After the snap, I'm left shaking my head as Britt, Ifedi, and Gilliam all team up on Hunter leaving poor little Zac Brooks all alone against 3 rushers. (Audie Cole dropped back into coverage) This was Gilliam's biggest screw up of the night, and I don't understand what he was thinking here. He was just standing around, scratching his ***, blocking air while three defenders run behind him. Most disappointing play of the game. I was happy to see Ifedi, once again, hustling back to clear the trash off of Russ.

The other sack was really just one of those ones we will have to accept as the cost of doing business with Wilson. Everyone but Gilliam sets up a perfect pocket for Wilson, but Gilliam gets bull rushed, gets off balance, and is driven into the QB. Most QB's would either throw it away, or step up into the remnant of the pocket to take the sack. Wilson hooks out of it and starts looking downfield. 9 times out of 10 this results in a big play. 1 out of 10 he gets caught from behind. Last night he got caught. Really he had plenty of time, but the coverage was too good.

 

[bigskydoc]

How could I leave out? The run blocking was very good.

 

[Jville]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SheilKapadia/status/766680342593929216[/tweet]

 

[hawkfan68]

Britt hasn't done too bad at center. Glow and Ifedi are solid at guards. The tackles however are a different story. I'm not impressed with Gilliam or Sowell. Both got burned badly and often. Gilliam is making me wish that the Seahawks had kept Okung. This line with Okung at LT would have been better, even if Okung doesn't go a full season.

 

[hawknation2016]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/SheilKapadia/status/766680342593929216[/tweet]

Perfect leverage and drive on the combo by Mr. Pancake. And a BEAUTIFUL block by Britt on one of the best NTs in the game. Britt's pad level has been exceptional.

 

[Jville]

I really like the preseason. All of the experimentation, players moving around and the progress toward forging a new offensive line roster. It's an engaging process.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status/767502891108016132[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/JaredStanger/status/767494871816876032[/tweet]

 

[hawknation2016]

Hunt is the top graded rookie center in preseason, per PFF.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/PFF/status/767485954068275200[/tweet]

 

[hawknation2016]

Lots going on with the OLine.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/768230635471155202[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/768216040572526592[/tweet]

 

[HawkGA]

Lots going on with the OLine.

[tweet]https://twitter.com/bcondotta/status/768230635471155202[/tweet]

I don't get it. Isn't he supposed to be the right tackle?

 

[chris98251]

Have to do musical chairs, everyone on our O lINEMEN seems to play multiple positions, game speed for these guys is important if they are going to be a tackle one game and need to be a guard the next week if someone gets dinged.

It's Cables way.

 

[Jville]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Bradley60Sowell/status/768441030085443585[/tweet]

 

[Seahawkfan80]

The Britt experiment may have been on course all along. Put him on one side of the center to learn the reads there, then put him on the other side to learn the reads there on OUR TEAM. Then finish off with the final position at CENTER. Know the reads so he can call them and the qb can go play football with less on his mind. Just thoughts and ramblings from a football fan. :mrgreen:

 

[OkieHawk]

The Britt experiment may have been on course all along. Put him on one side of the center to learn the reads there, then put him on the other side to learn the reads there on OUR TEAM. Then finish off with the final position at CENTER. Know the reads so he can call them and the qb can go play football with less on his mind. Just thoughts and ramblings from a football fan. :mrgreen:

That's actually a good take on the situation, and one that I hadn't considered.

 

[xgeoff]

The Britt experiment may have been on course all along. Put him on one side of the center to learn the reads there, then put him on the other side to learn the reads there on OUR TEAM. Then finish off with the final position at CENTER. Know the reads so he can call them and the qb can go play football with less on his mind. Just thoughts and ramblings from a football fan. :mrgreen:

That's actually a good take on the situation, and one that I hadn't considered.

I don't believe this for a second, but it is an entertaining thought Bottom line, give the coaches a LOT of credit for finding a good place for Britt. I, like a lot of people, was ready to ride that guy out of town on a rail...

 

[Trenchbroom]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Bradley60Sowell/status/768441030085443585[/tweet]

Somebody gets it. Hopefully he has the talent to stick.

 

[xgeoff]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Bradley60Sowell/status/768441030085443585[/tweet]

I like this guy a lot and think he has played pretty well. I would call him an upgrade over our previous LT's, including Okung. I saw him allow one sack against the Vikings and it's because he didn't sustain his block after he initially stopped Everson Griffin. He was asked about it and recognized that it was something he needed to correct. Not sure why the pundits (e.g. John Clayton, Brock Huard, etc) are so down on this guy.

Some of the more idiotic things I heard guys like Huard say was that Sowell can't start for us because he was a backup in Arizona. But they have no problems playing UFA's that are passed over by every other team in the league. It's so incongruous as to be absurd. You would think he would know better.

 

[StoneCold]

The Britt experiment may have been on course all along. Put him on one side of the center to learn the reads there, then put him on the other side to learn the reads there on OUR TEAM. Then finish off with the final position at CENTER. Know the reads so he can call them and the qb can go play football with less on his mind. Just thoughts and ramblings from a football fan. :mrgreen:

That's actually a good take on the situation, and one that I hadn't considered.

I don't believe this for a second, but it is an entertaining thought Bottom line, give the coaches a LOT of credit for finding a good place for Britt. I, like a lot of people, was ready to ride that guy out of town on a rail...

I also find this entertaining and doubt it was a long term project from teh git go, but as a discussion this off season?

Cable: What do we do about Britt?
Pete: What do we do about center?

{light bulb}

Cable: What do you think about Britt at center? He knows both sides of the line...